Hollow Beasts

Jodi Luna, Book 1

By: Alisa Lynn Valdés

Narrated by: Joanna DeLane

Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dirty Girls Social Club comes a wilderness thriller featuring Jodi Luna, a rookie game warden who takes on a terrorist group in rugged New Mexico.

After a long stint in academia, Jodi Luna leaves Boston for the wilds of New Mexico to start a new life as a game warden. Jodi is no stranger to the wilderness; her family has lived here for generations. Determined to protect her homeland, she nabs a poacher in her first week on the job.

But when he retaliates by stalking Jodi and her teenage daughter, a cat and mouse game leads Jodi to a white supremacist group deep in the mountains. She learns that new recruits are kidnapping women of color to prove their mettle to the organization’s leader.

When the local sheriff refuses to assist, Jodi joins up with young deputy Ashley Romero. Together, they set out to take down a terrorist network that will test not just their skills as investigators but also their knowledge of the land and commitment to its people.

But will Jodi’s fierce resolve to protect the voiceless put her loved ones in harm’s way?

©2023 Alisa Lynn Valdés (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Packed to bursting with big questions for readers.”—Kirkus Reviews

“[A] strong action-packed thriller and series launch from bestseller Valdés.…Readers will look forward to seeing a lot more of this tough, smart heroine.”—Publishers Weekly

“With a ripped-from-the-headlines plot, Valdés’s novel offers an authentic voice, fine writing, and a protagonist with a complicated backstory and one of the most dangerous jobs in American law enforcement: game warden.”—The Washington Post

I partly read the Kindle and listened on Audible

…And the printed page was the more enjoyable format. The book is well written, uses adult vocabulary and sentence structure. On the other side, I found the narrator very flat; exhibiting narrow dynamic range and/or variations in pacing from action scenes to quiet moments. There was no attempt to reflect different characters with changes in vocal range or texture. Ms DeLane does admirably provide the story an appropriate Hispanic flavor. I predict I will enjoy additional stories about Officer Luna but I will likely choose the typeset edition.

I loved the authors lens in reflecting the cultural strengths of Northern New Mexico.

I wish that the narrator was from New Mexico to ensure authentic accents and intonation.

Good start to a new series

I don't have a good history with books about Game Wardens. Three years ago, I abandoned 'The Poacher's Son', the first book about Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch because I found Mike so nice and so calm that he bored me. This year, I abandoned 'In Plain Sight' the sixth book in the series about Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett because I decided I really didn't like Joe anymore.

Still, I like the idea of stories about Game Wardens so I decided to try 'Hollow Beasts', the first book in a brand new series about New Mexico Game Warden Jodi Luna. Now, I have a Game Warden I can look forward to reading about.

'Hollow Beasts' was a breath of fresh air. What a difference it makes when your Game Warden is a Hispanic woman in New Mexico rather than a white man in Wyoming. 

'Hollow Beasts' is also a real page-turner, As soon as I started it, I wanted to sit down and read it until it was done.

Some of it, especially the start, is a tough read. The plot involves a White Supremacist terrorist group that behaves like a cult. Their hate and acts of violence against women were graphic, credible and repugnant. I spent a lot of the rest of the book waiting for these guys to get their arses kicked. I wasn't disappointed.

This is an entertaining and engaging book. It's also one which seemed to me to have a clear agenda: expose the twisted thinking and behaviour of white supremacists fighting their 'war' against The Great Replacement', to remind people of the history of New Mexico, including how it became part of the United States, and to show how strong, well-armed, women can work together to put an end to violent men. Most of the time, that agenda provided more energy to move the action forward and to help to define the characters and the culture that they live in. Once or twice, it felt more didactic than that. If it wasn't so closely based on the reality of the current situation, it might have felt like propaganda.

It was rescued from that by two things: I liked Jodi and her daughter and the newly-returned-to-town police detective she was working with; the clever way that Valdés built tension throughout the book, keeping me focused on the action and the risk rather than on the bigger political picture.

Parts of the plot did involve some remarkable co-incidences, mainly with regards to things that establish key relationships for Jodi Luna. I was happy to swallow these because they didn't mess with the main action of the plot or its resolution and because the relationships that were established set up the potential for some interesting twists and turns in the next few books in the series.

I'll certainly be back with Jodi Luna in New Mexico when the next book comes out.

Better as it went

It started slow and I was regretting getting this book. About midway, it started to pick up and by the end I was really enjoying it. So much so, I’ll get the next book in the series.

Strong women

Great story of powerful women yet disturbing with crazy killers and heartless deranged men.
Sad that the reality of this story is still happening . Valdez definitely
brought these ugly crimes to light.
I look forward to more books like these - where the women are strong and prevail!

Good story

Good book about includes many topics carefully and respectfully woven into the story. I read it in one sitting. Worth the read.

Narrator performance great, story? Not so much.

Story needs more work and has some holes that need filled. Author could do a bit more research on the type of characters she is writing about to sell her story. I found it to be reaching and a bit far fetched.

Hollow Beast

I like books about game wardens. This one has a good storyline a little different than most. Jodi takes a job as the game warden in Mexico (her hometown). She stumbles on some human trafficking. There is some high up people involved. Jodi with help from Deputy Ashley (a special friend) tries to stop it. This is a wildlife, mystery, thriller and suspense all in one. This is the first book in this series. It explains a lot about Jodi's life and upbringing. Im looking forward to the next book to see where they take this story line. Joanna Delane does a good job narrating this book. Writer and narrator is new to me. I think both did a good job. If my review is any help will you please click on the helpful link below. Thank you.

It's good

Very good character development. Nice to see a "minority" protagonist. I truly enjoyed listening to this book. looking forward to the next book in the series.

Excellent book. Horrible narrator.

Great plot and characters. Terrible narrator -- bad "acting" when reading dialog, mispronounced words. Sounds like a high school student reading a book out loud. Not professional at all.